Scarborough and the Critic

Richard Brinsley Sheridan

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Title: Scarborough and the Critic
Author: Sheridan
Release Date: December, 2004 [EBook #7108] [Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule]
[This file was first posted on March 10, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SCARBOROUGH AND THE CRITIC ***
Produced by Charles Franks and the Online Distributed Proofreading TeamA TRIP TO SCARBOROUGH
A COMEDY
DRAMATIS PERSONÆ
AS ORIGINALLY ACTED AT DRURY LANE THEATRE IN 1777
LORD FOPPINGTON Mr. Dodd.
SIR TUNBELLY CLUMSY Mr. Moody.
COLONEL TOWNLY Mr. ...

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• Publié par: allu
• Publié le: 08 décembre 2010
• Nombre de lectures: 30
• Langue: English

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**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla
Electronic Texts**

**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By
Computers, Since 1971**

*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands
of Volunteers!*****

Title: Scarborough and the Critic

Author: Sheridan

[RYeelse,a swee Darate e:m Doreec tehmabn eor,n 2e 0y0e4a r[ EaBhoeoakd #o7f108]
schedule] [This file was first posted on March 10,
]3002

Edition: 10

Language: English

*E*B* OSTOAK RSTC OAFR BTOHRE OPURGOHJ EACNTD GTUHTEE CNRBIETRICG ***

PDrisotdriubcueted db yP rCohofarreleasd iFnrga Tneksa mand the Online

A TRIP TO SCARBOROUGH

A COMEDY

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

TAHS EOARTIRGEI NINA L1L7Y7 7ACTED AT DRURY LANE

LSIORR TDU FNOBPEPLILNY GCTLOUNM
M
S
r
Y
.

DMor.d dM.oody.
COLONEL TOWNLY
Mr. Brereton.
LOVELESS
Mr. Smith.
TOM FASHION
Mr. J. Palmer.
LLAO RVYA R
M
O
r.
L
B
E
aMddr.e lBeuyr.ton.
PMREONBDEL E
M
G
r.
S


PMarr.s oNnosr.ris.
JSEHWOEELMLAEKRE
M
R
r.M Lr.a Cmaarsphenter.
ATAMIALNODR A
MMr.r sP. arRkoebri.nson.
BERINTHIA
Miss Farren.
MISS HOYDEN
Mrs. Abington.
NMURRS.S EC O
M
U
rs
P
.
L
B
E
r
R
a

dMshrsa. wB.ooth.

Sempstress, Postilion, Maid,
and
Servants.

SCENE—SCARBOROUGH AND ITS

NEIGHBOURHOOD.

PROLOGUE SPOKEN BY MR. KING

What various transformations we remark,
From east Whitechapel to the west Hyde Park!
Men, women, children, houses, signs, and
fashions,
State, stage, trade, taste, the humours and the
passions;
The Exchange, 'Change Alley, wheresoe'er you're
ranging,
Court, city, country, all are changed or changing
The streets, some time ago, were paved with
stones,
Which, aided by a hackney-coach, half broke your
bones.
The purest lovers then indulged in bliss;
They ran great hazard if they stole a kiss.
One chaste salute!—the damsel cried—Oh, fie!
As they approach'd—slap went the coach awry—
Poor Sylvia got a bump, and Damon a black eye.

But now weak nerves in hackney-coaches roam,
And the cramm'd glutton snores, unjolted, home;
Of former times, that polish'd thing a beau,
Is metamorphosed now from top to toe;
Then the full flaxen wig, spread o'er the
shoulders,
Conceal'd the shallow head from the beholders.
But now the whole's reversed—each fop appears,
Cropp'd and trimm'd up, exposing head and ears:
The buckle then its modest limits knew,

Now, like the ocean, dreadful to the view,
Hath broke its bounds, and swallowed up the
:eohs The wearer's foot like his once fine estate,
Is almost lost, the encumbrance is so great.
Ladies may smile—are they not in the plot?
The bounds of nature have not they forgot?
Were they design'd to be, when put together,
Made up, like shuttlecocks, of cork and feather?
Their pale-faced grandmammas appeared with
ecarg When dawning blushes rose upon the face;
No blushes now their once-loved station seek;
The foe is in possession of the cheek!
No heads of old, too high in feather'd state,
Hinder'd the fair to pass the lowest gate;
A church to enter now, they must be bent,
If ever they should try the experiment.
As change thus circulates throughout the nation,
Some plays may justly call for alteration;
At least to draw some slender covering o'er,
That
graceless wit
[Footnote: "And
Van
wants grace, who never
wanted wit."
—POPE.]
which was too bare before:
Those writers well and wisely use their pens,
Who turn our wantons into Magdalens;
And howsoever wicked wits revile 'em,
We hope to find in you their stage asylum.

* * * * *

ACT I.

SCENE I.—
The Hall of an Inn
.
Enter TOM
FASHION and LORY, POSTILION following with
a portmanteau
.
Fash
. Lory, pay the postboy,
and take the portmanteau.
Lory. [Aside to TOM
FASHION
.] Faith, sir, we had better let the
postboy take the portmanteau and pay himself.
Fash. [Aside to LORY
.] Why, sure, there's
something left in it!
Lory
. Not a rag, upon my
honour, sir! We eat the last of your wardrobe at
New Malton—and, if we had had twenty miles
further to go, our next meal must have been of
the cloak-bag.
Fash
. Why, 'sdeath, it appears
full!
Lory
. Yes, sir—I made bold to stuff it with
hay, to save appearances, and look like
baggage.
Fash. [Aside
.] What the devil shall I
do?—[
Aloud
.] Hark'ee, boy, what's the chaise?
Post
. Thirteen shillings, please your honour.
Fash
. Can you give me change for a guinea?
Post
. Oh, yes, sir.
Lory. [Aside
.] So, what will
he do now?—[
Aloud
.] Lord, sir, you had better
let the boy be paid below.
Fash
. Why, as you
say, Lory, I believe it will be as well.
Lory
. Yes,
yes, I'll tell them to discharge you below,
honest friend.
Post
. Please your honour, there
are the turnpikes too.
Fash
. Ay, ay, the
turnpikes by all means.
Post
. And I hope your
honour will order me something for myself.
Fash
. To be sure; bid them give you a crown.
Lory
. Yes, yes—my master doesn't care what
you charge them—so get along, you—
Post
.

And there's the ostler, your honour.
Lory
. Psha!
damn the ostler!—would you impose upon the
gentleman's generosity?—[
Pushes him out
.] A
rascal, to be so cursed ready with his change!
Fash
. Why, faith, Lory, he had nearly posed me.
Lory
. Well, sir, we are arrived at Scarborough,
not worth a guinea! I hope you'll own yourself a
happy man—you have outlived all your cares.
Fash
. How so, sir?
Lory
. Why, you have
nothing left to take care of.
Fash
. Yes, sirrah, I
have myself and you to take care of still.
Lory
.
Sir, if you could prevail with somebody else to
do that for you, I fancy we might both fare the
better for it. But now, sir, for my Lord
Foppington, your elder brother.
Fash
. Damn my
eldest brother.
Lory
. With all my heart; but get
him to redeem your annuity, however. Look
you, sir; you must wheedle him, or you must
starve.
Fash
. Look you, sir; I would neither
wheedle him, nor starve.
Lory
. Why, what will
you do, then?
Fash
. Cut his throat, or get
someone to do it for me.
Lory
. Gad so, sir, I'm
glad to find I was not so well acquainted with
the strength of your conscience as with the
weakness of your purse.
Fash
. Why, art thou so
impenetrable a blockhead as to believe he'll
help me with a farthing?
Lory
. Not if you treat
him
de haut en bas
, as you used to do.
Fash
.
Why, how wouldst have me treat him?
Lory
.
Like a trout—tickle him.
Fash
. I can't flatter.
Lory
. Can you starve?
Fash
. Yes.
Lory
. I can't.
Good by t'ye, sir.
Fash
. Stay—thou'lt distract
me. But who comes here? My old friend,
Colonel Townly.
Enter
COLONEL TOWNLY. My

dear Colonel, I am rejoiced to meet you here.
Col. Town
. Dear Tom, this is an unexpected
pleasure! What, are you come to Scarborough
to be present at your brother's wedding?
Lory
.
Ah, sir, if it had been his funeral, we should
have come with pleasure.
Col. Town
. What,
honest Lory, are you with your master still?
Lory
. Yes, sir; I have been starving with him
ever since I saw your honour last.
Fash
. Why,
Lory is an attached rogue; there's no getting
rid of him.
Lory
. True, sir, as my master says,
there's no seducing me from his service.—
[
Aside
.] Till he's able to pay me my wages.
Fash
. Go, go, sir, and take care of the baggage.
Lory
. Yes, sir, the baggage!—O Lord! [
Takes up
the portmanteau
.] I suppose, sir, I must charge
the landlord to be very particular where he
stows this?
Fash
. Get along, you rascal.—[